Dengue hospitalisations and deaths have continued to increase in the doubling rate since July which the entomologists fear will spike further after the latest rain as the authorities allegedly remain indifferent regarding taking proper actions.
The doubling rate represents the number of days it takes for the number of dengue cases to double.
They have also said that as the rain sustains temperature and humidity favouring hatching of aedes mosquito, the career of the deadly fever, new potential breeding spots will increase.
Two more people died of dengue and 321 others were hospitalised across the country in the past 24 hours till Friday morning, raising the deaths from dengue infection to 143 so far this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services data.聽
According to the DGHS data, total dengue hospitalisations increased to 27,705 so far since January.
Former president of the Zoological Society of Bangladesh and an entomologist Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury predicts an alarming dengue situation in the coming days.
鈥楧engue might peak in last of October and early November,鈥� he suspected.
He explained that stagnant water in different spots after rain would facilitate aedes breeding. As virus carrying vectors are present in the nature the new born mosquitos would easily get infected and would spread the disease, he added.
In the face of the authorities鈥� largely uncaring attitude, he advised people to use mosquito nets, repellent and to wear full-sleeve dresses and keep their surroundings clean.
The local government authorities, meanwhile, in a press statement on Thursday said that they had engaged 2,689 people in city corporations and municipalities across the country to control dengue.
Last week, Dhaka North City Corporation mosquito control officials visited 1,21,886 houses and found mosquito larvae in 8,875 of them.
In terms of percentage, DNCC statistics showed that 7.28 per cent houses were breeding spots of aedes which was quite high.
DNCC administrator Md Mahmudul Hasan said that they were also
concerned over the huge presence of larvae in these households.
鈥榃e are working to control mosquito giving it our top priority despite many limitations,鈥� he said.
He said that they were trying to engage local residents in their anti-mosquito drive.
The city corporation has an adequate storage of insecticides, he said claiming that the insecticides were effective against mosquito.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department meteorologist Kazi Jedbunnessa said that the rain would continue on Saturday in Dhaka and other districts.
Yet another rain spell has been forecast for early October, she added.
National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine entomology department head professor Md Golam Sharower said that the increase of dengue cases outside the capital was even more alarming.
He said that the city corporations had a mechanism to control mosquito which was still missing outside the cities.
He suggested that the government should strengthen public awareness and undertake a nation plan of action to control the aedes breeding.聽
Entomologists have observed that dengue patients are on the rise largely due to the inactivity of the authorities concerned.
Of the deceased from dengue this year, 14 died in January, three in February, five in March, two in April, two in May, eight in June, 12 in July, 27 in August and 60 in the first 27 days of September.
Of the hospitalisations this year, 1,055 were reported in January, 339 in February, 311 in March, 504 in April, 644 in May, 798 in June, 2,669 in July, 6,521 in August and 14,864 in first 27 days of September.
Dengue killed 1,705 people and sent 3,21,179 people to hospitals in 2023 alone against 853 deaths and 2,44,246 hospitalisations between 2000 and 2022, the DGHS data showed.
A dengue outbreak was first officially reported in the country in 2000 when 93 people died and 5,551 patients were hospitalised, according to the DGHS data.
National University entomologist GM Saifur Rahman said that currently, serotype-II dengue was responsible for most deaths and hospitalisations. Based on the change in the serotype, deaths and hospitalisations might increase, he warned.
